ProfMatsLekander

Description

PositionResearcher

Background/Education M Sci Psychology 1990, PhD Psychology (Faculty of Medicine) 1996 Research profile/Current workI work in the intersection between psychology and biomedicine. In particular, I study the interaction between the brain and the immune system and the role of behavior in this interaction. This may for instance relate to the effects of stress or inadequate sleep on the immune system and brain function. Several relevant studies are focused on allergy. A particular interest lies in how the immune system affects brain activity and thus the subjective health experience. In this area, I study how both acute and chronic inflammation affects the sensitivity to pain, fatigue and the so-called self-rated health. My interest in the mechanisms underlying general health and stress, has in recent years also been applied in treatment research, where several studies are ongoing. One example is acupuncture and the role of placebo and the interaction between therapist and patient have on the effectiveness of the therapy. Other studies, includes the treatment of insomnia or health anxiety (hypochondria) using cognitive behavioral therapy, or how the ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) can be used for chronic pain conditions. In almost all studies, biological and psychological scales of observation complement each other in order to provide a better understanding.

Projects

The ability to communicate and cooperate is necessary for successful social interactions. In some circumstances it could mean the difference between life and death; healthcare workers have to be able to inform each other about patients, and pilots have to be able to land through ...

Self-rated (subjective) health is a construct of increasing importance to understand health development over time. In addition to its obvious importance for the individual, self-rated health is a strong predictor of health care consumption, morbidity and mortality. Even though so...

Groups

In the research area psychoneuroimmunology, the importance of behaviour in the interplay between the brain, the endocrine and the immune system is studied. Within this framework, we study how stress and sleep influences the immune system, and how the immune system in turn infl...